


Dilapidated Dreams

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-11 22:27:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7073020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after Erin has rejoined the world of the living, Dave has asked Aaron to teach her how to play the guitar, saying that it was at her request. What he finds is a house divided, and a woman in need of something more than music. Will they be able to resist their feelings, or will they give in to the dilapidated dream of love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Aaron wondered what, exactly, he was doing standing on the front porch of the Rossi mansion, a guitar case in his hand. Or rather, he did know, but he still was uncertain about giving lessons to the newest Mrs. Rossi. After all, she had made it quite clear when she had left the BAU that she wouldn't be looking back or focusing on the past. That had included cutting all contact with the team the moment the Director had chosen her replacement.

Exhaling forcefully, he pushed to doorbell and waited for the door to open. "Isabella, Katarina, stop it!" he heard from behind the door and smiled, picturing the toddler twins giving their mother problems. The few times he had been invited over for supper had been a revelation, showing him a totally different side of her. "David, will you please get the children?"

As Aaron listened, another, heavier, set of footsteps came near the door, and from the delighted squeals, he knew that his colleague had indeed come for the children. "I'll have Bernice look after them while your little lesson is going on."

He winced a little at the tone his friend took, and felt his brow furrow, as the pieces of a badly damaged marriage fit into place. Clearing his throat, he hoped that everything would fine as he taught Erin how to play the guitar. He really didn't want to get involved in the middle of his best friend's latest disaster of a marriage. He'd already been through that once before.

Just then, Erin wrenched the door open, and he tried to look anywhere but at her tearstained cheeks. "Hello, Aaron. You're right on time. David's decided that our lessons are going to be held in the living room. He'll be able to hear us somewhat, since he'll be in the den, playing poker with his friends."

Her voice was sadder than he had remembered it to be, and for some reason that made him want to reach out and hug her tightly to him. "That's fine with me. This first lesson will just be the basics, anyway. I doubt he'll find much of interest in listening to you play chords over and over again as I teach you the correct fingerings."

Erin nodded and beckoned him inside. He followed after, taking in the feminine touches that Erin had added to his friend's house in the three years they had been together. Once they were closed in the living room, he took the time to really look at her as she pulled out her guitar, awkwardly fumbling it onto her lap as she sighed. She had lost weight, and it seemed like she was wasting away.

"Aaron, come, join me on the sofa. I promise, I won't bite." There was no mirth behind her joke, even though she was smiling at him, and he nodded before closing the distance between them and taking a seat. Pulling out his guitar, he quickly tuned it before setting it aside and reaching out for hers. She handed it over and he smiled to see the quality instrument that she had bought for herself.

"This is a gorgeous instrument, Erin."

"Only the best for David's wife," she muttered, looking down at the carpet. It bothered him to hear her address herself so, and this time he reached out, resting his hand on her shoulder. She shuddered a little, and he wondered how long it had been since she had felt a kind touch. The living room door swung open and she swallowed a gasp as her head shot over to see who it was. Aaron looked himself and saw a beautiful little girl standing in the doorway. "Isabella, you know that this is Mommy's private time. Where's Bernice?"

"With Katie. I want to hear you play, Mommy." Her lower lip pouted out, but Erin shook her head. Ignoring her mother, the toddler ran over to them and clambered up onto the sofa, wiggling between Aaron and her mother. "Are you Mister Hotch?"

He gave her a tender smile as he nodded. "I am, Isabella. You look very nice today."

"Thank you. Mommy made me this dress. Katie has a matching one. Are you going to make our mommy happy?"

Erin met his eyes over her daughter's head, and he saw the shock and panic written there. He let his smile linger as he nodded. "I am going to try my best, honey. But, I think that you should listen to your mommy. We grownups need to have some privacy while I teach your mommy how to play."

The little girl nodded before slipping off the couch and running back over to the door, just as an older woman, whom he assumed to be Bernice, appeared. "I'm sorry, Miss Erin, she got away from me before I noticed."

"That's fine, Bernice. We haven't really started yet. I'll be up to relieve you when this is over."

"Oh, no, don't worry about that. You need your rest. Take your time."

Aaron filed away that piece of information and waved to the toddler before Bernice picked her up and closed the door, leaving them alone once more. Turning to face Erin, he found that she was crying softly, and he had no idea how to comfort her or if he even should. "I've had a really long recovery from the pregnancy. It was something that I wanted to do for David, but I had no idea it would take this much out of me."

"From the little Dave told us, you were such a trooper throughout the pregnancy." What he didn't say was that as soon as the twins were born, Erin had become an afterthought to him, only being mentioned when Penelope asked after her.

She smiled at him, a soft look of hope on her face. "Really? He talked about me?"

Aaron found that he couldn't break her heart in that moment, since he knew that she was obviously fragile in that moment. "He did, he does. You are always his beautiful, loving, wife." His heart ached at the small lie he told, but he knew that it was that or destroy hope in her.

"I'm glad to hear that." Erin looked down at her guitar, dragging her fingers down the strings. "Well, I guess we should get started before I waste any more of your time, Aaron. I know that you'd much rather be home with Jack. I know that you're only doing this because David asked you to."

Those last words were so forlorn that he couldn't keep from leaning forward and pulling her into a soft hug. She was stiff, resistive, to the embrace, but he still held her, knowing that sometimes it was the actions that got through to the heart. Finally, she relaxed a little, laying her head on his shoulder and bursting into sobs. "I have you, Erin. You're not alone."

He realized that his words echoed the ones he had spoken to her years ago, when he thought they were losing her, and she must have realized the same, as she cried harder, letting him stroke her back. "I'm sorry, Aaron. I just feel so lonely."

"Don't be sorry for your feelings, Erin. Come, let me teach you how to play."

She nodded and sat up, lifting her shirt to wipe her face clean of her tears. Aaron found his eyes drawn to the pale skin of her stomach. "Would you play something for me first? So that I can gather my emotions?"

He found that he couldn't deny her request, so he nodded and picked up his guitar, strumming a few chords. "Is there something in particular that you want to hear?" he asked.

"Do you know the song, 'The Water is Wide'?" He nodded. "Play that for me." He began to play the folk song, and was surprised to hear her sweet mezzo-soprano fill in with the lyrics. "The water is wide, I cannot swim o'er. And neither I have wings to fly. Build me a boat, that can carry two. And both shall row, my love and I."

Aaron found himself following her lead, wondering how many verses of the song she knew, listening to her sing about the heartache of love. "I can see now why you want to learn how to play. You need something to accompany that voice of yours."

She blushed as she nodded. "Yes, and I want to learn that song first. It's one of the ones that I learned at my mother's knee, back when I was young. I took more easily to the piano, but the guitar will be nice to learn, too."

He nodded and set his guitar aside before getting up. She blanched, and he smiled at her, trying to get her to relax. "I'm not going anywhere, Erin. I just need to sit behind you so that I can position your fingers on the right strings. After you get the basic chords down, I'll go back and watch you play."

"Okay," she breathed out, her spine becoming impossibly straight as he settled in behind her. He tried to ease her nerves, to touch her in an appropriate manner. "So, what do I do first?"

"Your right hand goes here," he said, positioning it on the neck of the guitar. "And your left hand hold the pick to strum over the strings. Here, let me show you the position for a C Major chord."

His fingers closed around hers, and he breathed in the intoxicating scent of her perfume as he began to show her how to play. A small voice in the back of his head told him that maybe he shouldn't have been so willing to agree to this, as his feelings were quickly growing confused and knotty. Still, he would soldier on for Erin's sake. God knew she needed a friend, and he was determined to be that for her.


	2. Chapter 2

The second week that Aaron came over to give Erin her lesson, he let himself in with the key that David had given him before he took off on his West Coast book tour. The house was surprisingly quiet, and he wondered where the twins were, knowing that children filled a home with noise and laughter.

Frowning a little, he made his way to the living room, finding the lights off and the curtains drawn. And then he focused in on the sound of Erin softly weeping. Making his way over to the sofa, he sank down next to her, letting his guitar case slip to the floor softly as he reached out and took her hands in his. "Erin?"

"I called his hotel room, to see how he was doing in Olympia. Some woman answered, Aaron, and it was not a voice I recognized. You know him better than I do, please, is he having an affair? Am I losing him to another woman?"

She sounded so shattered, so heartbroken, that he couldn't stop himself from bundling her close, bringing her head to rest on his chest as he stroked her hair and crooned softly in her ear. "I wish that I could tell you with all certainty that he was faithful to you, but he doesn't tell me everything." She nodded and curled up against him, her fingers digging painfully into his bicep. "Do you want me to just go?"

"No, please, stay. I need to be with someone, the house is so lonesome when it's empty."

"Well, where are the twins?"

She sighed deeply. "He took them with him. He said that it was a good experience for them to start travelling so young. I wanted to go, but he said that I would be better off at home. That's never a good sign."

He winced before rubbing her back once more. "He might have just thought that you weren't up to travel. You do seem to be wasting away before my eyes. How much weight have you lost since we all saw you last?"

She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyelashes spiky from her tears. "I'm not thin enough. I've seen the way he used to look at Jennifer, at Emily. I can't compete with them, or any other size zero."

"And you're what, a size two now?" He had to bite his tongue in order not to yell at her that she was way too thin for her frame, as he didn't want to shame her or make her feel like she was failing. Somehow, he knew that that had always been one of her triggers, one of the things that had driven her to drink, and he did not want to push her into a relapse.

"But a two is not a zero," she said brokenly. "I love him, Aaron, so much it aches, and I want to be the perfect wife that he deserves."

He sighed deeply as he reached up to stroke her face, flicking tears away with his thumb. And he thought about how easy it would be to lean in and kiss her in that moment, to show her just how lovely he thought she was. And she must have felt something as well, since she drew back a little, seeming to draw into herself before his eyes. Needing to put a little space between them, he picked up her wrist and began to run his thumb over the infinity scar that she had been left with after her ordeal.

Finally, though, he had to say something, to set her heart at ease, and Aaron reached up and cupped her chin tenderly, lifting her face so that they would make eye contact. Erin's eyes were still swimming with tears, but she intentionally focused on him, waiting for him to speak. "You deserve to be happy, Erin, above all else. What you went through at the hands of John Curtis was enough to knock anyone for a loop. You clawed your way back from that and created something out of the ashes of your life. Do not compare yourself to JJ or Emily or anyone else, because you are you."

"I don't want to be me any longer." The words seemed to drop unbidden from her mouth, since she hurriedly broke her gaze from his to stare down at her hands. "I love being Mommy again, but that was not my dream."

Before she could start crying once more, Aaron pulled away and bent to open his guitar case. "How about I play for you for a bit? Until you feel a little calmer."

"That would be lovely, Aaron. Thank you."

He nodded and held the instrument close to his body as his fingers thrummed against the strings, the sound suddenly loud in the quiet room. Still, Erin let out a soft sigh as she scooted over to the far end of the sofa, curling around a pillow as she closed her eyes to listen to whatever he was going to play.

It was wholly inappropriate, but the first song that came to mind was David Bowie's Heroes, and he took a deep breath as he started to play. Deciding against singing along, he changed up some of the chords so that it sounded more like the melody of the song. It was only when he was about half way through that he realized Erin was murmuring the words along with his playing, and Aaron tried to not alter the volume he was playing at, since he didn't want to startle her or make her feel self-conscious.

As the song came to an end, he could feel Erin's gaze focus on him, and he glanced over to see her staring intently on his hands, watching the way he played, as if trying to memorise the movements. "Do you want me to show you how to play this song?"

"Yes? I mean, out of all the songs that you could have chosen to play just now, you had to pick my favourite Bowie." A tremulous smile turned her lips upwards, and he shrugged a little. "Well, as long as it's easy, we could go for it. I don't think I've gotten that much better since our last lesson, but with everyone gone, I've had plenty of time to practice."

Aaron struggled not to frown, but Erin sounded so lonely in that moment. As she stood to get her guitar off the stand by the fireplace, though, he allowed himself a tiny look of discontent, hoping that he had schooled his features enough by the time she turned back.

"Well, let's hear you tune, then."

She nodded and pulled out her phone, tapping away at it before revealing that she had gone and downloaded a decent tuning app. And he was impressed with how quickly and well she got her instrument into playing condition, and she gave him a small smile before settling back in the sofa, cradling the guitar close to her stomach. "That was actually the easiest part to get under my fingers. Restringing, though? That is a bitch."

The old Erin came out in those words, and he chuckled a little as he nodded. "Let me guess, you snapped one your first time tuning, because you tightened the pegs too tightly."

"Yes. And thank God for YouTube tutorials, otherwise David would have thrown a fit about the whole thing. So, I'm a pro at tuning and restringing, at least."

"It's a start, and a good one at that. But you can't play slumped back in the couch like that. Posture matters."

Erin rolled her eyes as she scooted forward and straightened her spine, giving him a slightly imperious look as she placed her fingers on the strings and took a deep breath. "Is this better, Aaron?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Much. If you want to be any good, you have to do things the correct way."

"I hate hearing myself coming from other people. I have said those exact words to my children before, and now I know how they felt about hearing them."

The off handed way she spoke told Aaron that she was concentrating on her guitar more than him, as he would never have expected her to respond that way to him normally. "It could be worse. I could have you balance a book on your head while you played."

"That would never happen." The ice in her words told him how serious she was, and he cocked his head to one side in agreement. "I went through enough comportment lessons when I was younger to know exactly how to hold my head."

"Good to know."

He hadn't meant to flirt, but the way she had said those words just opened the door for him. From the blush on Erin's face, she had picked up on it, too, and he cleared his throat a little as he readjusted how he was holding his guitar, his fingers stroking the strings. "All right, what chord do we start with for this song?"

For once he was grateful for her ability to turn on the consummate professionalism, and Aaron nodded swiftly before moving his fingers into the correct position for a D chord. "The introduction alters between a D and a G chord, like this…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, Boss Man?"

Aaron looked up at Penelope, giving her an easy, open, smile. "I have been giving guitar lessons to someone for a few weeks now, and I've finally gotten to the point where I'm actually looking forward to working with her."

"Ooh, how are you managing that with our schedule?"

He shrugged a little as he tightened his grip on his briefcase handle. "This will only be our third lesson, for that very reason. Though she is an apt pupil, going above and beyond between our times together."

"You almost sound like you have a crush on her."

Though he knew Penelope was only teasing, he still shook his head vehemently. "She is very much married, Penelope, and I do not meddle in things like that." She nodded in return, scurrying down the stairs to come up to his side. "What is it?"

"Have you heard how Erin's doing? We were exchanging emails fairly regularly there for a bit, but it's been radio silence on her end for the last three months. I miss getting updates on the twins, and talking with her. And I just thought, since you're Rossi's best friend, that you might have seen her or heard from her."

"There's a lot going on in their life right now, Penelope. But if I get the chance to talk to her, I will tell her that you miss talking."

"Thank you!" She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and he cleared his throat a little as he felt the quick brush of her lips against his cheek. "Seriously, after everything she went through, I just want to make sure that there are people who are going to support her. Emily lost so many friends after her brush with death, after all."

He nodded as he stepped away from her. "You have a good heart, Penelope. Never lose it."

She smiled sunnily at him before pivoting around and scurrying back up to her office, waving a little to him before disappearing into her office. Letting out a soft chuckle, he also turned and made his way out of the bullpen and over to the elevator. Dave was still up in his office, he could see the light still on, and that made him a touch happier, since that meant they would be alone for her lesson, and that hopefully would lead to Erin being a little more relaxed.

Whistling a little, he walked over to his car and tossed his briefcase into the passenger seat. Jessica had graciously agreed to look after Jack for the extra hour that he would be gone, and he looked forward to being able to spend time with Erin without having to worry about hurrying home.

The drive over to Dave's house didn't take too long, and as he pulled into the drive, an odd feeling of nervousness swept over him, which was ridiculous. He had been over there numerous times, and had always been welcome. This was no different. Drawing in a deep breath, he shook his head and climbed out of the car, popping the trunk so that he could grab his guitar case.

As soon as it was in his hand, Aaron made his way to the front door, loosening his tie before ringing the doorbell. Once more, the sound of little feet thundering towards him caused him to smile, and then Erin was wrenching the door open, sticking one leg out to stop Isabella from escaping outside. "Is Dave right behind you?"

"No, he decided to stay back and finish some things up. I'm certain he'll be home for supper, though." Coming inside, he toed off his shoes, welcoming the feel of little arms wrapping around his leg in a too tight hold. "Hey, kiddo. Where's your sister?"

"With Bernie."

"Which is where you should be, too, Bella. Go, please?"

"Yes, Mommy," the toddler lisped out, and Aaron watched her run full tilt towards the stairs, thundering up them and down the hall.

"I wish that I still had that sort of energy," he said lowly as he shrugged out of his suit coat, hanging it on a hook by the door. She shook her head a little as she picked up his guitar case and took off for the study. He followed at a more sedate pace, knowing that Erin needed some time to collect herself for some reason.

Once he had joined her, he ambled over to the couch and quickly tuned his guitar, seeing that Erin had her instrument out and in her hands already. As he tightened the strings, he looked at Erin, giving her a soft smile. "What?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to smile."

"Like me, you don't smile. Ever."

"Maybe I have a reason to smile, Erin." She blushed a little and brushed her fingers along the strings of her instrument, not making eye contact. "Also, Penelope and I had a little chat before I came over."

"Yes?"

"She misses talking to you. You haven't emailed her in months? Why?"

Erin sighed deeply, starting to play a slightly familiar tune. "You know her. She can discern anything about anyone from the tiniest bit of information. It's what she's paid to do, I get that. But, but, I don't want her to know how miserable I am right now. I'm trying my hardest to make things work with Dave, but my best and hardest doesn't seem to be good enough at this point."

As he watched her face, silvery tears began to track down her cheeks, and he reached out, resting his hand on her shoulder and rubbing his thumb in soft circles in an effort to comfort her. Finally, she looked up at him, a wounded look in her eyes. "You don't have to keep living like this, you know."

"He'd get custody of the girls in a heartbeat. I have no income, no way to support myself, let along our children, and who would hire someone my age? So, until the girls turn eighteen, yes, I have to."

"You have your pension from the FBI. That's not nothing."

"It's not enough, not when I signed a prenup. And before you say one word about being a lawyer, I know. I also know that you haven't kept up on your license, and therefore cannot find a way to help me wriggle out from under that. Besides, you're Dave's best friend and your loyalty belong to him, first and foremost."

"No, Erin. He may be my best friend, but that doesn't mean I won't take into consideration what I've seen here. You've made an impression on me."

A flash of guilt swept over her face before she looked back down at her guitar. "You don't want to get too close to me, Aaron. Nothing ever goes right."

"Let me make that decision. Please?" She gave a sharp nod before reaching out and grabbing a few pieces of paper.

"I want to learn how to play this song, but it seems like my fingers won't cooperate. Play it for me?"

Aaron looked down at the tabs, and frowned a little. "I'm not certain I know this song?"

"Your mum never listened to Buddy Holly? I mean, I know we're a few years apart, but…" She sighed and pulled out her phone. "Here, listen," Erin said a few minutes later, after calling up a YouTube video of Heartbeat.

As he listened to the slightly calypso feeling of the guitar and the plaintive sound of Buddy Holly's voice, Aaron began to feel that despite the cheeriness of the song, there was an undercurrent of regret and sadness to it. And after glancing at Erin's face, he knew that she heard it to. "It might take me some time to get this under my fingers, Erin."

"I don't care. Please, try playing it for me."

The insistent tone in her voice told him that she desperately needed to hear this live, in that moment, and so he nodded, trying to hold onto the melody in his head as he strummed out the chords. It must have been enough to appease Erin, since she set her guitar in its stand and relaxed back against the couch, a sorrowful smile on her face.

Once more, as he got going, Erin began to sing along, and he smiled as he listened to her voice, the feeling, the meaning, of the song swept over him and he find his own eyes misting up. "You still love him."

"Desperately."

"You deserve better."

"Yes."

Their eyes met, and he leaned in a little, continuing to smile. "You'd have support, if you wanted to leave." She gave a small nod, unconsciously closing the distance between them even more. And just as it seemed like they were going to kiss, the door from the garage slammed shut, and they both pulled away, as if they had been burned. A bright blush stained Erin's cheeks, he noticed, and he picked his guitar back up and started to play Heartbeat once more, knowing that they had to have a plausible cover, should Dave come into the room and check on them. But a part of him was strangely disappointed to have missed that connection with her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you headed over to Rossi's place?"

Aaron's head whipped around to focus on Penelope, and he fought to keep his face a neutral mask as he regarded her. "Why do you ask?"

"Erin mentioned that you were giving her guitar lessons, too, and I was hoping that you'd be headed there today. I made her this." She thrust a small package out at him, and he took it, not knowing what else to do. "She's not happy, Hotch, I can tell that much from her recent letters. And I know you're Rossi's bestie, but please, look out for her, too?"

"I'm trying my best," he replied, stepping back from her. "And I'll make certain she gets this."

"Thank you." She smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes, and he knew that she was feeling the same way that he was about Erin. "Seriously, I don't want to cause issues in the team, but, well, I'm not even going to think about that. Go, now, before I really put my foot in my mouth."

He nodded a little, wondering what she had been about to say. Sighing, he turned and made his way over to the elevators. Dave had long since left for the day, and he wondered why he had taken off so early. Shaking his head, he tried to clear stray thoughts from his head as he climbed behind the wheel of his car, driving by rote to the Rossi home.

Rather than ringing the bell, he used his key to let himself inside, and set the guitar case on the floor so that he could hang his coat up on the rack. Before he could pick the case up once more, his attention was caught by the muffled sound of angry voices. Frowning a little, he grabbed the handle and made his way further into the house, looking around for the twins or their nanny. None of them were visible, which was small comfort to him, since he knew all too well that voices carried and could be overheard by little ears all too easily.

Letting out a shallow breath, he crept over to the study, the voices getting louder and louder as he approached. Aaron hadn't heard that much invective in his best friend's voice in years, and knowing that it was being hurled at Erin made him see red. Even when he and Haley were fighting so badly, he had tried to make certain that he never attacked her character, or how she looked.

"I've been more than patient, Erin! You've had two years to drop the extra weight from the pregnancy, and look how you used to look. Do you really think that I'll want…"

Aaron cleared his throat, getting Erin's attention, and as soon as the focus was off Dave, his best friend turned to look at him in the doorway. Dave's features were bright red, and he was breathing heavily through his nose, something that told Aaron he was very angry. "You seem to have lost track of time, Dave," he said flatly, hoping his tone of voice would help the man to back off Erin a little. She shot him a grateful look, though he couldn't acknowledge that without calling Dave's attention to it as well.

"It seems I have. Have a good lesson, Aaron. We'll pick this up later."

Dave brushed past him, and closed the door a little more firmly than necessary. Still, Aaron and Erin stood rooted to the spot, as if they were both listening for some signal that would tell them it was safe to breathe freely once more. Finally, that signal came in the form of the garage door opening, and Erin collapsed onto the couch, curling up into a tight ball as she obviously struggled to keep from sobbing.

"I wish that you hadn't heard that."

Her voice was gravelly, thick, and low, all things that clued him in to the fact that she was very close to losing it. He shook his head a little as he went over to the couch and sat next to her, reaching out and covering her knee with his hand. It was the safest space he could think of touching on her body, and still, he felt like he was toeing a very precarious line by doing that. "I'm glad I was able to stop it. I hadn't realized that things were quite this bad between you."

"We've always fought, Aaron. It's part of what makes our relationship so strong. And the makeup sex is pretty good, too."

Her voice had a different flatness to it than his had, and it broke his heart a little, so he tightened his hand on her knee, wanting to offer her more comfort. "You can only lie to yourself for so long. I think that we both know that to be true."

She shrugged a little, looking over his shoulder at the door. "If I can lie to myself enough, I can make it truth. That worked well enough when I was drinking."

"No, it didn't." She snapped her head to look at him, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers as she laughed lowly. "Erin?"

"What?" she snapped, and he deliberately allowed all his defenses to drop before he let go of Erin's knee, leaning in and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest. "Aaron…"

"Just let go, Erin."

She shook her head, even as she curled up close to him, burying her face in his chest. It took more than a few breaths for her to finally break down, and once the floodgates were open, his shirtfront was soon soaked with her tears. "I love him, Aaron. So much. But there are people who would say that love isn't supposed to hurt like this."

"Those people are right."

Aaron felt every single bit of her hand as it spread out on his chest before curling in the fabric of his shirt. "But I will need someone who will stand by me, even as I stand by him. Please, stand by me."

He let out a deep sigh, knowing that he couldn't resist that sweet pleading in her voice, knowing that it had taken so much for her to be that open with him. "All right, I will. I won't like it very much, but I will. As long as you promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Think about the way he treats you, and how it really makes you feel. There are people in this world that would support you, should you decide to make a change." She pulled away from him, and gave him a small smile before nodding a little. "All right, Penelope gave me a present for you, why don't you open it while I get my guitar out and tune it?"

"And then play the song you're going to work on with me?"

"Of course."

She gave him a quivering smile as he opened the guitar case and handed over the small square. Erin's hands caressed his almost thoughtlessly as she took hold of it. Aaron tried to ignore the fluttering of his heart as he picked up his instrument and quickly tuned it before starting to strum the chords of the only song that seemed appropriate in a time like this.

"When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light I see," he started to sing lowly, watching as Erin opened the package to reveal a delicately embroidered handkerchief. As she ran her fingers along the stitching, a pleased sigh slipped from her lips as she began to sing along with him. Setting the handkerchief aside, she picked up her guitar and began to strum along with his fingerings. It was remarkable, really, how well Erin was able to keep up with him, and he smiled a little to hear her voice join his in the song.

When they came to the end of "Stand By Me", he looked over at Erin, seeing tracks of tears running down her cheeks, and he knew that he had to do something to make her smile or feel a tiny bit better. "How are the twins? I take it they aren't here?"

She shook her head as she hugged her guitar close to her body as she continued to meet his gaze steadily. "David thought it would be best if they spend time with their aunt. It's only for another two weeks, but I miss my babies. If we're fighting this badly, however, it really is for the best that they're away."

"Do you get to talk to them at least?" he asked softly as he put his guitar in the case, never looking away from her.

Erin smiled a tiny bit as she nodded. "Bernice is quite good at making certain to call before they go to bed, and I read them a bedtime story. It's not as good as being able to kiss them to sleep or to tuck them in, but it will have to do until they're back in my arms again." She swallowed thickly as she darted her eyes away. "Aaron?"

"Yes?"

"Do, do I really look that bad?"

She had caught him flatfooted with her question, and Aaron slowly shook his head. "I think that you look beautiful just as you are. And if you want to lose weight, you need to make certain that you're doing it for yourself, not to make someone else happy. Okay?"

Erin nodded as she sank back against the sofa, still holding onto her guitar, strumming absently as she closed her eyes. "Thank you, by the way, for standing by me."

"Any time, Erin," he replied as he once more reached out to touch her knee, wanting the woman to know that his support would continue on as long as she needed it, even if Dave was his best friend. There were some things that were more important than friendship, and this was one of them.


	5. Chapter 5

Aaron waved a little to Dave as he watched the other man pull out onto the street. It appeared that the twins were in the back seat, and he smiled a little to know that Erin would be happier this week, knowing that her babies were back where they should be. Parking in the drive, he grabbed out his guitar case and bounded up to the door, trying the knob and finding it open. His smile grew when he heard the sound of Erin's guitar floating towards him, since she was playing a song that he didn't recognize.

Closing the door softly, Aaron listened to the sound of the guitar as he made his way to the study. The closer he got, the more he could hear the melody come through, and then he picked up the words Erin was singing. "Said it would never happen then walked out the door, yeah, once again. Can't even start to imagine a life without you…"

He cleared his throat a little, letting her know that he had entered the room, and her voice stopped abruptly as she flattened her hand out on the strings of her instrument. "I passed Dave on my way in here. The twins are back?"

She nodded, keeping her head carefully turned from him, even as her hair fell over it. Alarm bells were going off in his head at that, and he tried to keep from frowning, knowing that she might take it the wrong way. "Bernice brought them back while you were on that case in Wisconsin. She said that Katarina was absolutely disconsolate without me."

"And yet, Dave is taking them for the afternoon?"

"To allow us some privacy. I requested it, actually." With those words, she looked up into his face, and he tried to control his micro-reaction to the livid bruise that stood out in stark relief on her pale face. "I shouldn't have told him that the girls were never leaving my sight again. I should know that ultimatums are never the best with him, given your line of work. He reacted in a predictable way, but I still should have been a little quicker in my reactions. Some things have never returned to me in full, after my brush with death."

He took a seat on the couch, his guitar case falling to the floor in a nearly silent thud as he leaned in and trailed his fingertips across her cheek. "Has he ever struck you before?"

"Never hard enough to leave bruises. But we argue, a lot, and sometimes when things are heated, hands start flying. God knows I've smacked his chest enough times to warrant a return hit."

Her words, so clinical, so detached, broke his heart, and he did the worst possible thing in that situation. Spreading his hand out on her face, he let his thumb stroke her cheekbone tenderly as he brought their foreheads together. "Nothing ever warrants this, Erin. You aren't as strong as he is, and so trying to hit at him is just your hardwired reaction to try and escape out of the situation. Love should never treat you like this. I heard the song you were singing when I came in. Was it about him?"

"Maybe."

"You want to leave him." He didn't phrase it as a question, since he knew the truth that was buried deep in her heart.

"Maybe. But you know why I can't, Aaron. I have to think of Isabella and Katrina. They're my heart, especially since things are still so rocky with my first children. If I lose them, too, I'll have no one left."

"That's not true, you'll have Penelope. And me."

Erin pulled away a little, tucking her chin into her chest as fresh tears began to roll down her face. "You make things sound so pretty, Aaron. Like everything will be perfectly okay just because I have you and Penelope. Friends are nice, yes, but I need my family. I need my children."

Her breath caught in her throat, and Aaron quickly bundled her close to his chest, letting her sob against him as he rocked them back and forth. "I completely understand, Erin. When Haley took Jack, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Like there was a huge part of my heart just…gone. It's the worst feeling in the world, and I wish that you had never had to experience it."

She nodded against his chest, curling her hand into the fabric of his shirt. At some point, he wasn't entirely certain when, she moved into his lap, snaking her arms up to encircle his neck, nuzzling her nose against his collarbone as she continued to sob. "I just wanted to move on, to be happy. I have my babies, I have my love, but I'm still so sad. It's ridiculous, I have nothing to be sad about."

"But you do. Your life is not what you planned, is it?"

"No," she whispered as she nestled in closer to him, her sobs lessening by the moment. Unconsciously, Aaron began to rub her back in soft circles, his hand stopping and spreading out at different moments. She seemed to crave the gentle touches, since he could hear the barely vocalized mewls of pleasure she let out. The fleeting thought ran through his mind of how long it had been since Dave had held Erin like this, been tender with her like this, and then he had to fight the impulse to drop a kiss to the top her head. It was how he had comforted Haley and Beth, and the thought that he was regarding Erin in the same light as those two disturbed him.  
Aaron went to push her away, trying to get some control of the situation once more, but Erin tightened her hold on him, as if she needed to still be close to him. "Erin," he murmured lowly in her ear, "we're treading some very choppy water."

"Don't you think I know that? I've known that since our third lesson. But it seems that I'm good at plunging headfirst into situations that are not good for me. Or anyone around me. Right now, however, I just need to have someone, anyone, comfort me." Erin's hand curled over the ball of his shoulder, leveraging herself closer to him. "I just need to feel cherished for a few moments longer. And at least, in your arms, I can pretend that it's Dave who's holding me close. And I don't think that anyone else would understand quite like you do."

"You're probably right," he mumbled as he slid one hand up her neck until he was cradling her head. "But I still have to ostensibly give you a guitar lesson today. That song you were playing when I came in? Did you learn it on your own?"

Erin shifted in his lap, pulling away from him to look into his eyes as she nodded. "I needed a song that fit my current mood, and Penelope mentioned this one, and one thing led to another, and here we are."

There was a guilty blush on her cheeks, and Aaron wondered what was going through her mind. Deciding to try and tease her a little, to see if that would make her at least smile a little, he said, "Well, you're sounding quite good already. Maybe you don't need me as a teacher any longer."

The panicked look that instantly appeared on her face told him that his joke had not been well received, and Aaron fought to keep from bending over backwards in order to make her feel better. "There is still so much to learn, Aaron. Certainly, you realise that I'm not a competent player yet? Yes?"

Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned in and cupped her face with his hands and smiled softly. "I think that you are much better than you realise, Erin. But I will continue to give you lessons, at least until you feel like you're a good enough player to get by without me."

"Thank you," she breathed out as she rested her forehead against his, matching her breathing with his. Once he caught on to what she was doing, he deliberately slowed his breaths, knowing that the steady rhythm would help to calm her more readily than any words might.

"You are most welcome. All right, since you've done a little outside playing, how about we try some Bach pieces today?"

Aaron hoped that the move to something more classical would focus both of them a little more, since it seemed that this afternoon had so quickly gone off the rails, thanks to Dave's angry outburst. Erin looked up at him, her eyes shining wetly as she nodded a little. "I suppose that would be fine. After all, I need the challenge if I'm to grow as a player. Right?"

He nodded in response, bending down for his case and opening it, pulling out his well-worn copy of _70 Bach Chorales for Easy Classical Guitar_. "Exactly. We'll begin with the first piece in this book and then we'll see how you get on from there." The first true smile of the day flashed across Erin's face, and he smiled back at her, wondering just how deeply a pit he was digging for himself.


	6. Chapter 6

A very large part of Aaron's heart was happy to see that the ugly bruise that had marred Erin's features was faded away to nothing by the time they met once more for her next lesson. And it seemed that she was feeling a bit freer than normal, since she was wearing a sunny smile on her lips when she opened the door to greet him that afternoon.

"Aaron! You're on time!"

He nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I know that you prefer punctuality, Erin. And I know how important your lessons are."

She looked away from him as they started to make their way to the living room. "I was a little lonely, since David is away in New York, talking with his agent. At least the girls are here this time, though I think that I have you to thank for that."

He ducked his head a little, not wanting to agree or disagree with her. After their last lesson, he had been furious with Dave, wanting to slug him, and cause as much pain to his body that he had inflicted on Erin. But he also knew that that would be very stupid of him and might get Erin hurt worse in the long run. Instead, he had come up with a very small compromise, one that would please Erin to no end. "I think that your husband may have had a come to Jesus moment, Erin."

She giggled a little as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, whether it was you or God, I am immensely glad to have my babies with me this time. Even if I sent them to the park with Bernice for our lesson. I wanted a little privacy for this."

Her cheeks were bright red as she spoke, and Aaron chuckled a little as he followed her into the study, smiling to see that his Bach Chorale book was set up on a music stand, with tabs sticking up on certain pages, indicating that Erin had been playing through and finding pieces she liked. "It looks like you've been busy since our last lesson."

"Yes. I felt inspired, after listening to you playing some of these. Though the ones that you're best at are not easy under my fingers right now, so I had to find some that felt right to me. Penelope even said that she thinks I'm sounding a little good."

"Oh? When was she over?"

"The night that David left on his trip. She brought Chinese over, and humored me. I mean, I can't have the same people as my audience all the time. Anyway, she was very enthusiastic about my progress, and that bolstered my confidence so much. And then we watched _Moulin Rogue!_ , and I think I found the next song I'd like for you to teach me."

The words poured from her lips, almost as if she knew that if she was to talk slower, they might not come out, and he nodded a little before reaching out and resting his hand on her shoulder. "What song would that be?" he asked quietly as they went over to the sofa and took a seat.

" _Your Song_. I mean, I loved all of the music in there, more than I thought I would, and while I would love to learn how to play _Come What May_ , but I really don't think that I'd be able to make it through the piece without bursting into tears. And after our last lesson, I really don't want to cry on your shoulder for a while."

Aaron nodded before unconsciously starting to rub her knee, trying to soothe her frazzled nerves. "Well, you're in luck, since I know that song quite well. Haley was quite fond of Elton John, so his music is some of my most familiar."

"Good," she murmured as she scooted away from him, as if she realized that the touch of his hand on her knee was a little more intimate than appropriate in that moment. "You really loved Haley, didn't you?" she asked quietly as he started to tune his guitar.

"I did. We were high school sweethearts, and I always thought that love would conquer all. I might have had unrealistically high standards, though, since I wanted to have a marriage that was nothing like my parents."

He began to play the opening chords to _Your Song_ , needing to focus on something other than his travails, since he didn't know if telling Erin about his marital issues and his parents' marital issues was a smart idea. "I imagined that Alan and I would be together until one of us died. I wasn't counting on becoming an alcoholic, and neither was he. It ruined something between us, and I lost the first love of my life. Maybe that's also why I'm holding on to David so tightly."

He paused and looked at her, seeing that the sunny look on her face had been replaced by a haunted, sad, one. "You have to keep in mind that love is like sand. The tighter we hold onto it, the more that slips through our grasp. I forgot that with Haley, and with Beth. The next time I fall in love, I hope that I remember to hold on lightly."

Erin nodded a little as she picked up her own guitar, strumming the strings lightly as she looked down at her hands. "I'm starting to wonder if this love isn't more out of obligation at this point."

The words were whispered, and Erin refused to look up at him, so he pretended that he hadn't heard them as he went back to playing the song. Soon, they were both singing the words to the song lowly, and Aaron found himself relaxing more and more in her presence. Looking up at her as he strummed along, he took in the fact that her eyes were closed, a sad smile on her lips, even as she sang the lovely words in unison with him.

They reached the end of the song, and an anticipatory, heavy, feeling surrounded him as her eyes slid open, and she looked at him expectantly. Not really certain of what he was doing, Aaron leaned forward at the same time Erin did, the space between them closing even as Erin's breathing picked up a little. And then, their lips were touching, and Aaron let her kiss him, let her hook her arm around his neck and pull him closer to her as the kiss lingered on. Everything felt right and wrong at the same time, and he wondered if Erin felt the same way.

Pulling back a little from her, Aaron smiled to feel her warm breath wash over her face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Please, don't tell David. Please?"

He nodded a little before bringing his head forward again, resting his forehead against hers as they began to breathe in sync once more. "It was just a kiss between friends. It didn't truly mean anything, other than me offering you comfort when you were hurting. And that is the way we'll think of it. Always."

Erin sighed deeply, and he felt her nod against his skin, even as her hand tightened around the back of his neck. "I hate to live a lie, but I'm not certain which lie I'm living right now."

He started to card his fingers through her hair, and she shuddered beneath the touch as he continued to do it. Once more, she angled her body closer and closer to his until there was only a hairsbreadth between them. Erin slid her head down to rest her head on his shoulder, her fingers starting to play with the fabric of his shirt. "Sometimes it seems like our lives shift direction when we don't look carefully at what's happening. Maybe what happened isn't a lie, but revealing the truth long buried."

"But what does that mean for us? I don't want to lose this time we spend together, Aaron. It means the world to me. You are starting to mean the world to me."

He hummed lowly as he slid his hand down to rest on her lower back. "Those are dangerous words, Erin."

"Don't you think I know that? Alan cheated on me, I know what it's like to be the cuckold. But I want to retain our friendship, even though I know how thin of ice we're walking on." Erin sighed deeply as she moved her head a little, pressing her lips to the side of Aaron's neck before pulling away from him and going over to her guitar. "All right, will you listen to me play a few of these Bach pieces? I need to know if I'm getting any better or not, after all."

"Of course," he said lowly, never taking his eyes off her as she started to play through the first of the tabbed pieces. He was pleasantly surprised to hear just how much she had improved in the short time that he'd started giving her lessons, and he smiled with real pleasure as he relaxed back against the sofa and listened to her play, knowing that this was most likely the calm before the storm that might very well destroy them all.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you giving Erin another lesson?"

Aaron looked up from his paperwork at Dave and gave him a small nod. "That was the plan, yes. Why?"

"I couldn't remember if you had made plans with her or not. That works perfectly, though, since I have a poker game this afternoon, and it's always good to have her out from under foot. She means well, but my poker buddies are not happy with having to placate her. How long are you usually playing for?"

"The lessons usually run an hour."

"Make it two, and I'll throw in a bonus for you."

Aaron nodded, hoping that his face wasn't showing the irritation he felt. "That will be fine, Dave. I just have to finish this up, and then I'll head over."

His best friend nodded and left the office, whistling an upbeat tune that grated on his nerves a little more than normal. Shaking his head a little, he went back to the report that he had been working on, hoping that he could finish it before too much time had passed. Just as he was signing off on it, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" he called out as he signed his name.

"Hotch, what is up with Erin? She is not happy."

He sighed as he closed the folder that held the file, and looked up at Penelope. "You are completely right, she is not happy. There are things that I am just now starting to see in their marriage that make me ache for her, but there is no way that I can do anything other than be a listening ear for her. You might think about calling her more often, and taking her out to lunch."

"You really are in a hard spot, aren't you? Rossi's your best friend, but it sounds like you're sympathizing more with Erin in this case."

He looked away from her, knowing that she was a great reader of people's expressions, knowing that he had to be careful how much she saw. "I am trying to remain impartial, yes, but you're right, I am siding with Erin more than is maybe prudent right now. But if we both support her, things might start to look a little brighter for her."

Penelope crossed over to his desk, taking a seat across from him and leaning forward. "I need to ask you something, and you might get angry with me for asking it, but it needs to be said. Are you falling in love with your best friend's wife?"

He wanted to deny her words quickly, but he knew that that was the entirely wrong thing to do, since it would seem like he was protesting too much. And, truth be told, he hadn't given his feelings those words before, and it seemed like there was a small kernel of truth in what Penelope said. "I can't say." She let out a small snort, and Aaron looked at her, seeing the knowing smile on her lips. "Penelope, truly, I can't say. I care for Erin, yes. She's a dear woman. But she's not in a position for me to fall in love with. And I need to keep that in mind."

Her eyes turned immeasurably sad, as if she was privy to something that he should know, but didn't, and she reached across the desk to pat his hand softly. "You really have the worst luck, don't you?"

Aaron opened his mouth to refute her words as she abruptly stood and scurried from the office. Letting out a long breath, he pushed away from the desk and stood up, grabbing his guitar case and making his way over to the elevators. Penelope waved a little at him from her vantage point at Emily's desk, and he shook his head slightly as he stepped into the car, waving back as the doors closed and he made the short ride down to the ground floor.

He had no idea how he made it over to Rossi's house, only that the he arrived safely, parking behind a number of unfamiliar cars. Aaron didn't even need to knock on the door, Bernice was opening it for him as he stepped onto the stoop. "Miss Erin is already waiting for you in the study. Mister Rossi asked me to relay to you that he would like it if you could keep the noise down to a minimum, since he needs to be able to concentrate on his game. And if you could be here for three hours, he would much appreciate that, too."

Aaron groaned a little, knowing that would mean he had to call Jessica and let her know that he was going to be later than planned. Stepping inside, he let Bernice close the door behind him as he made his way to the study, pulling his phone from his pocket as he went. Calling his sister in law, he brought the phone to his ear as he closed the door to the study, smiling slightly at Erin as he made his way over to the sofa. "Hey, Jess, it looks like my lesson is going to run later than I had planned, since Rossi wants, well, since I need to be here until six."

"Rossi's being a dick then, I take it?"

He gave Erin a quick look, seeing her lower lip quivering as she stared down into her lap. "You could say that, yeah. But he's my best friend…"

"And you will always fail to say the unvarnished truth about them, because you care too much. Fine, I'll tell Jack that you're spending some extra time with his Uncle Dave. But we will talk after supper, which I'll hold for you."

"Thanks, Jess." They hung up, and he turned his focus on Erin, reaching out to clasp her hand gently. "Your guitar isn't set up?"

Erin tightened her fingers around his hand and gave a little shrug. "I didn't really feel much like playing today. And it's not like you really want to be here for three hours, entertaining me. If you just play for me, for a little while, I can just put on some guitar music and play it lowly enough to trick David into thinking that you're still here, humoring me."

"No, Erin, I will stay, and you will get a master class today, if you truly don't want to play today." Erin licked her lips a little as she ducked her head down a little lower into her chest. "Okay?"

"Okay." He released her hand and began to get out his guitar. "Oh, Aaron, how I adore you."

He knew that he probably wasn't supposed to hear those words, so he tried to play off her words, to try and save face with her. "Is that the song you want to hear, Erin? _Adore You_?"

"Is there…yes. I would love to hear that song."

He smiled as he pulled out his tablet, searching for a song with that title. Surprisingly, one by Miley Cyrus showed up, and he quickly found the guitar tabs for it. Hoping that he was at least a little correct in how it sounded, he began to play it, watching as Erin curled up in the corner of the sofa, watching him carefully. "If you come a little closer, you can look at the words over my shoulder and sing along," he said lowly, wanting her nearby, for some reason that he didn't want to look too deeply into.

She nodded and scooted close to him, trying to put a melody to the chords he was playing. Her voice was soft, and yet it seemed to fill the air around him as he listened to the words pouring from her lips, and Aaron welcomed the way her head came to rest on his upper arm the longer they were in the song. "Thank you," she whispered as he pressed his hand against the strings to stop the sound.

"You are most welcome, Erin." He didn't move, not even when he felt her turn a little before pressing her lips against his cheek. "I hope that he didn't belittle you in any way."

"No, he just told me that he had found a way to keep me occupied while he was with his buddies. And really, Aaron, hope is for suckers."

He hated to hear the bitter, almost defeated tone in her voice, and he couldn't help but set aside his guitar and wrap his arms around her, holding her close as she silently began to cry. Pressing his lips to the top of her head, Aaron gently rocked her back and forth as her tears began to soak into the fabric of his shirt. "I wish that you didn't feel that way," he said before resting his chin where his lips had just touched. "And I really think that you and the twins should pick Penelope up for a long lunch tomorrow. It would do you good to get out of the house and be amongst friends, even if for a short time."

"We'll see, Aaron," she replied softly as she pulled away from him, looking up at him without wiping her eyes free from tears. "Now, would you play for me again? Something sprightly and light? That might just put me in a better mood."

"Of course, Erin," he said before stroking her face, his thumb flicking away some tears before he picked up his instrument once more and beginning to play for her.


	8. Chapter 8

"Rossi knows there's something up with Erin."

Aaron looked up from his coffee mug and frowned slightly at Penelope. It was risky for her to utter such words in the break room, and he shook his head a little before pulling his head towards his office. "I think this needs to be said somewhere a little more private, don't you?"

"Of course, sir." She frowned back at him before flouncing away from him and up the stairs, making a beeline for his office. JJ shot him a questioning look, and he shook his head at her, allowing a small smile to dance across his face before he followed after Penelope.

The moment his office door was closed, Penelope was in his face, her finger pressing against his chest as she stared up at him. There was real fear and fury in her gaze, and he averted his eyes, feeling guilt steal over his body. "What does Dave think? And how do you know this before me?"

"Erin's been happier lately, smiling like she used to, and he knows that he is not the one to put the silly schoolgirl smile on her lips. She's denied everything to him, so far, but we all know that he can have a suspicious mind when it comes to his lovers. I think it all stems from finding out about Joy so late in life."

"There is that," he murmured, trying to think of a good way to cover their tracks. There was no way that he would get Erin hurt even more, because of him. "And what does Erin think will happen?"

"She is trying to play things by ear, she thinks that she can placate him by stroking his ego. Look, I know that when we're here, we only see his jovial, fun, side. But you've seen the other side of him. The tough, rough, mean side that he tries to keep hidden from the world, because he knows that it would tarnish his authorial persona. And from what little Erin's told me, that side can be truly terrifying. You're playing with fire here, but she's the one that will be burned by it, when things blow up."

"Don't you think I know that?" he asked lowly as he crossed the room and took a seat behind his desk, needing the buffer between them. Penelope followed and sat on the edge of a chair, staring intently at him. "I am trying to handle this as delicately as I can."

"Then back off from her, Hotch. Stop sending her signals that tell her you're interested in her, and all the embers of this wildfire will burn out before it destroys the both of you." She reached across the desk and swatted his hand a little, causing him to look up at her. "I care about both of you, you know. And I want nothing but the best for you both. But did you ever stop to think that Rossi might make things very difficult for her, if you two do something foolish?"

He shook his head a little. "I think I've been so focused on making certain that Erin is doing okay, that she's learning and growing and becoming happier, that I allowed the consequences of our actions to be swept under the rug." Sighing deeply, he glanced down at his phone, seeing the display light up as a text from Erin came through. "She wants to know when I'm coming."

"Tell her that you'll be on your way in a few minutes. We need to finish this discussion."

He arched an eyebrow as he unlocked his phone and tapped out his reply to Erin. "I don't think that there's much more to talk about. We're going to tread carefully from here on out, and I will begin the difficult process of disentangling our feelings."

"All right, I suppose." Penelope didn't look convinced by his words, but they were all he could give her at that time, not knowing how difficult it would be to dig out the roots of the growing attraction he felt towards Erin. "Promise me, though, you won't do anything that will deliberately hurt her."

"I can promise you that," he replied as he pushed away from the desk and looked down at his coffee. "Would you please dump that out for me? I had thought that I'd have enough time to drink it, but it seems that I was wrong."

Penelope didn't even look guilty as she nodded, and he could feel her eyes on his back as he picked up his guitar case and left the office. Glancing up at Dave's office, he noticed that the man was bent over something on his desk, and he then remembered Dave telling him that he was spending the next four weeks doing a second edit of his next book. It was supposed to be finished by the next month, and he was more than a little stressed out over it. Part of Aaron wondered if that was why he was being so harsh on Erin, but then, he knew that stress was no excuse at all.

The entire drive over, he couldn't stop thinking about how he would react to Erin. They were going to be alone once more, since Dave was most likely going to be at the office until late in the evening. Which meant that they would be playing with fire more so than ever before. But still, he wanted to spend alone time with her, to make her a little happier than where he had found her.

Without realizing it, he had pulled into the driveway and was sitting at the wheel, still lost in thought. Shaking his head to clear away the disparate voices speaking in his ears, Aaron turned his car off and made for the door. This time, instead of Bernice greeting him, Erin opened the door, a soft smile on her lips. Aaron couldn't help but notice that she was dressed a bit more romantically than typical, her long full skirt skimming her ankles and her off the shoulder blouse lending an air of the bohemian to her.

"I was waiting for you to get here," she said airily, stepping forward to hug him tightly before pulling him inside. "David isn't going to be home until after supper, so we can play as loud as we want without having to worry about him overhearing us."

He nodded and gripped the handle of his guitar case tighter as they went into the study. Erin had laid out a tray of snacks and two glasses of water, trying to make it seem cozy, which touched his heart. Sliding his eyes over to her, he saw that her hands were clasped in front of her, as if she expected him to reject her. "Erin?"

"What?" she whispered, her smile faltering a little.

"You don't have to put on a performance for me. You just have to be yourself." A pretty blush stained her cheeks, and he closed the distance between them, reaching up to cup her face with his hands, even as he knew that he was crossing a major line in the sand. "Was there a song in particular that you wanted to work on today?"

" _You Needed Me_? I know, it's Anne Murray, but I've really come to appreciate that song so much more over these last few weeks." Erin was looking away from him by the time she finished talking, and it hit him that she was referring to him in regards to that song. The depth of her feelings took him aback, and he tried not to let that show on his face as he ran his thumb back and forth over her cheekbone. "Aaron?"

"I would do anything to make you smile, Erin." She slid her eyes back up to meet his, and he felt his breath stolen from his lungs at the sight of love, true love, hiding in those depths. And all of Penelope's words of warning came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. She frowned a little before closing the distance between them and kissing him tenderly.

"I need you, Aaron. In a way that is so different from David, from Alan. I know that this is so very dangerous, these feelings. But I also need to feel alive." Another soft kiss before she rested her head on his chest. "Penny has told me that I should be careful, that I should disentangle myself from you, before David finds out and does something rash. But I find that I don't want to listen to that advice."

"She has given me the same advice, too, which makes her a friend to both of us." Erin nodded against him, letting out a deep breath as he began to rub her back once more. "We should probably start going over the song, just in case Dave should come home unexpectedly. I wouldn't want him to walk in on a situation like this."

"All right," she murmured reluctantly as she let go of him and went over to her guitar, picking it up and holding it protectively to her chest as she failed to meet his eye, as if she needed some physical distance between them in order to keep her emotional equilibrium. Aaron just began to tune his guitar, knowing that they would eventually work things out so that everything made sense. In the end, that was the only thing that made sense.


	9. Chapter 9

"Isn't there something you're forgetting, Aaron?"

He paused with his hand on the doorknob, turning his head to look at Jessica, a frown furrowing his brow as he shook his head. "I don't think so?"

Jessica arched an eyebrow before pointedly looking at the guitar case that was near her feet in hallway. "There really isn't much of a point in giving Erin a lesson if you don't have a guitar, is there? Or was that not the sort of lesson you were planning on?"

There was a knowing lilt in her voice, and Aaron shook his head a little as he made his way back to her side and picked up his instrument. "What makes you think that there's anything other than music making going on between the two of us?"

Jessica shook her head a little, her blonde curls flying a little. "That answer alone tells me everything, Aaron. I knew that there were deeper feelings brewing between the two of you for a few weeks now, it was in the way that her name kept creeping up into casual conversations, or the way you talked about the twins, or the silly smiles that sweep across your face at the most random of times." She stepped a little closer to him, looking deeply into his eyes. "She's still married to Dave, your best friend. Don't do to him what my sister did to you."

He looked away from Jessica, knowing that she was right, but not wanting to admit that to her or himself. "My feelings for Erin have become complicated, yes, but I am trying my hardest to not make the same mistakes that Haley made with me. I wouldn't want to hurt any of us."

Jessica stepped back and nodded a little, a troubled look still on her face. "Convince her to leave him. She could bring the children and stay with me, and you could court her. Okay?"

"You're a romantic, like her. I think that you'll like her when you get to know her better."

She just nodded and waved him out the door. Turning around, he made his way out to the garage and then got into his car. The drive over allowed him some time to clear his thoughts, and by the time he was pulling into Erin's drive, he found himself looking forward to seeing her once more.

Erin was the one to meet him at the door once again, and he watched her face blossom into a sunny smile as she stepped outside to greet him. "Aaron! Thank you for switching the lesson to Saturday this week. Dave took the girls to see Peppa Pig Live! and I just didn't feel like going with them. Too much noise still bothers me."

He nodded and joined her on the porch, smiling when she gave him a tight hug. Unable to stop himself, Aaron kissed her temple before resting his free arm around her waist, guiding her inside. "So, it's just going to be the two of us this afternoon?"

"Yes. Bernice took the weekend off, too." There was an undercurrent to her words that told him there was more to them than he knew. He started for the study, but she shook her head and wriggled from his embrace, taking hold of his hand and holding on tightly as she directed him over towards the staircase. "I thought that we could have my lesson in my room this afternoon. The light there is a little better, and we don't need to be worried about anyone overhearing us."

He knew that he should protest, that he should bring her to the study, since that was the safer option. But a small part of him wanted to take a walk away from the line he so rigidly walked down, and that was the part of him that allowed Erin to guide him up the stairs and into a bedroom that was so feminine that he knew it was Erin's place to hide away from the world when things became too overwhelming for her. "I suppose that we're going to sit on your bed and play?" he asked when he saw that her guitar was resting on a pillow.

"Yes. Join me?" She dropped his hand and made her way over to her bed, climbing onto it and resting against the headboard as she started to strum a familiar tune. Erin stumbled over a few of the chords, and he gave her a fond smile as she stuck the tip of her tongue out as she looked closer at her music, trying the chords once more. It was then that he recognized the song, and he started to hum along a little as he settled down next to her.

"Love me tender, love me true, never let me go," he softly sang as she snuggled in closer to him, resting her head on his chest as she continued to play. Soon, the chords were beneath her fingers, and he sang along with her playing, feeling a strange sort of lethargy steal over his bones as the song ended. Erin set aside her music and placed her guitar on the floor before turning back to him and looking into his eyes. "Is this really the next step that you want to take?"

"I just want to feel something again, Aaron. In your arms, that is what happens. Please, make love to me." Before he could answer, Erin straddled his lap and claimed his lips in a soft, yearning, kiss. He tried to hold back from kissing her back, wanting to give her an out from this decision that his body was clearly wanting, as well. "Aaron?" she said brokenly as she pulled back to look into his eyes.

"We're both betraying someone we love."

"I know. God help me, I know. But this also feels so right. To be in your arms, cherished, adored, needed. Maybe I've been foolish, maybe this dilapidated dream I've had of a love that doesn't make me hurt will never come true, but for a few hours I can pretend that I am loved, and that you've taught my body a new love song to sing."

He nodded as he brought his hands to rest on her hips, his thumbs slipping beneath the fabric of her shirt to stroke the soft skin of her torso. Her hips rolled against him, the pressure deliciously sensual, and he groaned lowly before capturing her lips in another kiss, this one less gentle than the first. She kissed back just as passionately, and Aaron nipped at her lower lip before turning her onto her back and staring down at her. Desire had made her pupils dilate widely, and Aaron smirked before beginning to rain kisses on her face and down her neck, teasing along the neckline of her blouse as his fingers started to undo the buttons, working up until the last one fell open beneath his touch.

Once more skin was free for him to touch and caress, he pulled back a little to look at her. There was a sweet smile on her lips, her skin flushed with desire, as he raked his gaze down to her chest. Even through the slightly opaque fabric of her bra, he could see that her nipples were pebbled, and he licked his lips with anticipation as Erin bowed her back, allowing him to handily unhook the garment. As he pulled it off her body, Aaron found himself staring at her skin. She was even paler than he had thought, and her nipples were a dusky rose that almost matched her natural lip color. Unable to resist any longer, he lowered himself down once more, capturing one turgid peak between his lips, laving it with attention as his hands began to fuss with her skirt, trying to find the fastener for it, even as her own nimble fingers quickly unfastened all the buttons on his shirt and jeans.

Finally, they were both naked and breathing heavily, and Aaron pulled back once more to look into her eyes. There was nothing but trust and desire in her gaze, and he gave her a small smile before leaning in and kissing her deeply as he slid into her body, finding her wet and welcoming. They started to move in tandem, and then she was wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper as their thrusts and groans filled the space around them, driving them both closer and closer to climax.

Feeling like he was close to orgasm, Aaron slipped one hand between their bodies, seeking out Erin's clit and rubbing it gently to get her as close as he was. She focused her gaze on him, and suddenly, everything else seemed to fade to black as they looked into each other's eyes as they shared their first orgasm. He expected Erin to be quiet, to swallow the sounds of her pleasure, so it was a shock when she let out a loud, low, scream, her fingers digging deeply into his shoulders as her body bowed up against his. And then they were collapsing back onto the mattress, breathing heavily as they stared up at the ceiling. Erin cuddled close to him as she began to hum under her breath, and Aaron wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the enormity of what they had done began to seep into his brain. And he knew, deep in his mind, that there was no way that this would end well for either of them.


	10. Chapter 10

Aaron sat behind his desk, looking down blankly at the file in front of him. He knew that he should be trying to get this done, since he had to get over to Dave's, and give Erin her lesson for the week, but he was having a difficult time focusing, which was unusual for him. All his thoughts were consumed by Erin and Dave and how to fix this muddled mess he had managed to get himself into. Truly, if he had been thinking, he would have steered Erin away from him and back into the arms of her husband. He would have talked to Dave, gotten him to see how much he was hurting Erin, and talked him into being patient with Erin and grateful for the fact she had given birth to his children. He would have stopped himself from starting an affair.

Shaking his head a little, Aaron pushed away from his desk and made his way out into the hall. Dave's office door was still closed, which relieved him a little. Turning, he made his way to Garcia's office and knocked on the door, heading inside before she had welcomed him in. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Aaron?" she asked a bit peevishly, and he wondered just how much Erin had told her, since it was clear that they were becoming close friends as the weeks had gone by.

"I take it Erin's discussed the current state of things with you?" he asked lowly as he crossed over to her desk and took a seat on the edge. She refused to look at him, instead giving a tight nod before tapping away furiously on her keyboard. "I never meant for this to happen."

"And yet, you still slept with her. She was weak, vulnerable, needy, and you took advantage of that."

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. You took advantage of a situation that was entirely in your control. You are supposed to be the most levelheaded person amongst us, since you're our leader. What happens when David finds out about this?"

"He won't find out."

"Neither of you are very good at keeping secrets, Aaron. She told me in a phone call what had happened, and then you didn't even bother to deny it, just assumed that I knew when I wasn't my usual perky self in answering you. And if I know, how many others are going to know? And then how long before it gets back to him? What if he kicks her out? You know he won't let her take Isabella and Katrina with her, if that happens."

He released a long, low, breath as he shrugged. "I haven't really thought that far into the future. But I do know that what I'm feeling is more than friendly, which is most likely why I allowed things to get out of hand so quickly."

She looked up at him, fury in her eyes, and he flinched away from that look. "You fell in love with her? And you think that excuses what you did? She still loves Rossi! But now she also thinks that she loves you, too! That's it! Today's lesson is going to be your last, and you are going to tell Erin exactly that, in the nicest way possible, so that you don't break her heart any more than you already will."

Aaron tensed a little, taking umbrage with her declaration, and tightened his jaw as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I will do no such thing, Penelope. We are both adults, and can make our own decisions."

"Even if they are idiotic."

"Even if." Their eyes met once more, and this time, Aaron could see the caring behind the rage, and knew that she meant the best for them, even though she was being obstinate about things. "Now, I have a lesson to get to, and I would thank you to keep Dave occupied for an hour or so. Nothing will happen between us today, except maybe some talking."

Penelope let out a deep sigh before nodding a little. "I wouldn't be so hard on you, but I love you both like family."

"I know," he said as he patted her shoulder. "And thank you for caring so much. It keeps us grounded." She gave him a small smile as he stood up and then made his way out of the room. Their little talk hadn't made him feel much better, but it did help to put things into perspective. Jessica had given him similar advice, to break things off before they became too attached to each other, and he had similarly rebuffed her, knowing that anything that happened between him and Erin had to be worked out between the two of them.

Walking slowly, he went back to his office and collected his guitar and briefcase before heading out to the elevators. As the doors were closing on him, he noticed Dave leave his office, and he wondered if they were going to have an awkward lesson that afternoon after all. Knowing there was nothing he could do at this point, he continued on his way down to the ground floor and out to his car, making the drive to Dave's house as quickly and safely as he could.

Bernice met him at the door that afternoon, Isabella on her hip, and he gave them a warm smile as he stepped inside. "Miss Erin is in the study, waiting for you. Bella was listening to her play, but we know how important it is that she have her lessons as uninterrupted as possible."

"Thank you, Bernice." He patted Isabella's head softly, watching the little girl grin at him before she buried her face in Bernice's neck. The nanny gave him a quick smile as they parted ways, each heading to a different area of the house. He could hear Erin singing and playing, and the closer he got, the clearer he could hear.

"Oh mother, oh mother go dig my grave, Make it both long and narrow, Sweet William died of love for me, And I will die of sorrow." He came into the study as that verse died on her lips, and he could feel the overwhelming air of melancholy weigh heavily on his shoulders. "Aaron, I didn't hear you arrive."

"Bernice let me in. I, I had a talk with Penelope today."

"Oh." Erin hugged her guitar close to her torso, her fingers worrying the strings as she stared at the carpet. "Are you going to leave me, then? She said that that would be for the best, for us to cut off all communication with each other until this infatuation passed. But I feel like this isn't just some passing fancy. Whatever has been growing between us is deeper than just that. I, I think I've fallen in love with you, while still being in love with David. I just, I don't know what I would do if you left me, too."

"Too?"

"Oh, you know that David has left me emotionally, months ago. And now, it's just me, holding up both sides of our marriage." A few tears began to roll down her cheeks as she started to play _Barbara Allen_ once more. "I want to be selfish, Aaron, and have both of you in my life. At least until I'm strong enough to choose you."

He took a seat next to Erin, closing his hand around her shoulder. She paused her playing to look at him, and he leaned in, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Everyone who loves us would say that we're playing with fire, that we're encouraging folly, but for some reason, this feels right. I know that our feelings are not often a good indicator of what is true and right, but I also cannot deny them. Because I do find myself in love with you, too."

Erin's breath caught in her throat as she set her guitar in its stand and turned to him, love and sorrow in her gaze as she scooted closer to him, close enough to rest her head on his shoulder as she took hold of his hand and threaded their fingers together. "It gets harder and harder to live a lie each day. I had to tell Penelope, because there was no one else in my life who would understand, and I knew that she would still care for me, even though she might disapprove of what we did." Aaron could feel her shoulders shake a little, and he knew that she was openly crying. He closed his arms around her waist and held her close, trying to control his impulse to kiss her temple in comfort. That move, he knew, would get them nowhere, even though he longed to do something more than hold her.

"Penelope is a dear friend, to both of us," he finally said lowly as he brought one hand up to cradle her head closer to his chest, allowing her tears to stain his shirt. "I know that she's right, deep in my heart, but I find that these feelings I have are stronger than any logic I could place on what is happening here."

"And that is why I cannot afford to let you go, Aaron." She let out a long breath before lifting her head and pressing her lips to his jaw. "Because I do love you. And I hope that I don't die from love or sorrow." The melancholy air in her words seemed to suit the song she had been playing when he had entered, and all he could do was nod, knowing that whatever bad thing happened next, he would be there to support Erin through it, no matter what.


	11. Chapter 11

"All right, this is how you play this chord," Aaron said patiently as he placed Erin's hand in the correct position on the guitar. She was between his legs, resting against his chest, and if anyone were to come into the study, he knew that it would look like they were a couple. "Though I don't know why you'd want to learn how to play a murder ballad."

"I was feeling a bit like _Pretty Polly_ ," Erin murmured as she started to strum out the tune to the song. It was chilling, just how easily he could picture Erin in the place of Polly, and he shuddered a little before angling his head to kiss her cheek. Aaron could feel her smile before she turned her head and kissed him deeply. Throwing caution to the wind, he returned the kiss, pressing his hands against hers and stopping the sound of the guitar.

"I fucking knew it."

They sprang apart quickly, and Erin sprang to her feet, holding her guitar close to her chest as if to protect herself from whatever Dave would do. Aaron was a little slower to get up, but he made certain to position his body in such a way that he was protecting Erin, if Dave should decide to go for her. "This isn't what you think, David," she stammered out, and he watched his best friend's face contort with anger and disgust. "Truly!"

"Oh? Then did I just imagine my best friend kissing my wife like they were old lovers? Was I bewitched into seeing a fantasy that only the cruelest of devils would come up with to torment me? Or is the truth simply that my wife has made me a cuckold in my old age, and with my best friend?"

Aaron shook his head a little as he retreated, eager to protect Erin as best he could. Dave curled his lip into an ugly sneer at that gesture, and Erin then reached out, resting one hand on his shoulder. "David, please, I can explain!"

"There's nothing to explain. I want you and Aaron out of my house by the time I return."

"No, David, this is my home! I have nowhere to take the children!"

He chuckled, an unpleasant sound to Aaron's ears, and Erin curled her hand a little more tightly around his shoulder, as if she was afraid of what would happen next. He reached his hand up and covered hers, wanting to offer his reassurances to her. It was the entirely wrong move, since Dave shook his head slowly before taking another step closer to them. "My children are staying in my house. Did you really think that I would allow you to drag them into something like this? You have nowhere to go, and I know too many judges who will side with me, when I say that I have to keep a stable roof over my children's heads, and this is the only home they've ever known. How could any loving parent really want to remove their precious offspring from that?"

He had backed them into a corner, and Aaron knew that there was no place for them to turn in that moment. They needed to regroup, and fast, before Dave turned public perception against them. "You can't!" Erin protested, and he squeezed her hand softly, trying to get her to back off a little before she made things worse in the long run.

"I can, and you know it. You have nothing without me."

A broken sob was Erin's only answer, and he felt her head come to rest against his back, his shirt soon wet with her tears. "How long?"

"An hour. Maybe two. Move quickly." His best friend gave him another sneer. "I can't believe, after everything Haley did to you, you would do this to me. Enjoy your life together, you deserve everything that happens in the next few weeks."

Dave turned on his heel and stormed from the study. Moments later, the garage door slammed shut, and he felt Erin jump a little. Aaron spun around to face her, softly cupping her face with his hands and rubbing his thumbs back and forth across her cheekbones. "We don't have much time, Erin."

"I know," she whimpered before burrowing in close to his chest. "I should have known that this was coming, but I was so naïve, so blind. I, I, I have to leave my babies."

She broke down into fresh tears, and Aaron leaned in to press his lips against her forehead. "I know, but we won't leave things like this. Now come along, we have to get your things together."

Erin nodded brokenly, still clutching her guitar tightly. "I need to put this away, first. It's coming with me…"

"I'll find a place for you, don't worry."

She nodded and went to take care of her guitar before carrying it out to the hall. He followed after her, pulling his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialing Jessica. She picked up on the third ring, and he drew in a deep breath. "Aaron? Are you heading out on a case? I thought you had a lesson with Erin right now."

"I did. And I have a huge favor to ask of you."

"Dave found out, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"And he kicked Erin out."

"Yes."

"And you want her to move in with me, because you need time to tell Jack that his aunt Erin is in a relationship with you before Dave takes it upon himself to tell him that you were seeing her behind his back."

"You should work with us, Jess."

"I've just been around you that long, Aaron. Some of what you do has rubbed off on me." He listened to her take a soft breath, wondering what her answer would be. "I like Erin, and I will take her into my home until she can get on her feet again, or until she moves in with you."

"Thanks, Jess. We'll see you in about two hours?"

"All right. I'll tell Jack that…wait! Her kids?"

"He's keeping them."

"Oh, god, Aaron. Get here as quickly as you can, I'll come up with a believable story."

She hung up, and Aaron slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Jessica is willing to offer you sanctuary for the moment," he said as they started climbing the stairs.

"That is very kind of her, Aaron." He glanced over at her and saw that she was shutting down emotionally, which worried him. He has almost expected her to sob or be angry or something, anything, other than this blank, quiet, emptiness that was currently her. Following her in to the bedroom, Aaron watched as she methodically pulled out a few suitcases, setting them on the bed before going over to the closet and starting to pack up her clothes.

"What would you like me to do?" he asked, feeling useless in that moment.

"Go to the nursery and choose one dress from each of my daughter's dressers. I need something to keep with me, to remind me of them."

"All right." He didn't want to offer platitudes to her at this time, knowing as well as she did that they had no idea when she'd be able to see her twins again, if ever. Stepping over to her, Aaron leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, listening to her sigh before she leaned into him, letting her head come to rest on his chest. "I love you, that hasn't changed."

"And I love you. I just need to get this done, and be in a safe space. So please, go and do as I asked."

He nodded before stepping away from her and heading over towards the door. "I'll be back soon, Erin." She nodded absently, and Aaron turned and left the room, quickly heading over to the twins' room, and he began to rummage through their drawers, looking for the outfits that he knew Erin loved to dress Bella and Katrina in. He also took a stuffed animal from each bed, knowing that the toy might also help keep Erin a little more on even keel.

Heading back to the bedroom, he found that Erin had managed to get most of her clothes onto the bed, and was stuffing them into the suitcases haphazardly. "You're back. Good. I need my laptop, it's in the study." Aaron nodded, setting the items he'd already gotten into the suitcase closest to him before hurrying off and getting the device.

In tandem, they finished getting everything packed, and Aaron ran the bags down to his car, quickly filling the trunk with her belongings before coming in for more. And then, she was looking up at him, her eyes swimming with tears. "What is it?"

"I don't know. But I'm ready to leave."

It was a lie, he could see that much in her eyes, but he humored her by nodding and then wrapping his arm around her waist, leading her outside. The drive over to Jessica's took no time at all, but it was too quiet, and he kept glancing over to see that she was all right. She gave him a small smile before looking out the window at the passing scenery.

When he pulled into the drive, Jessica was waiting by the front door, opening it to welcome them in. "Will she like me? Or will she judge me?"

"She'll like you. It's me she's judging."

"Oh." Erin turned to look at him, a smile wavering on her lips as she leaned over and kissed him gently. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for." He smiled a little before running the back of his hand across her cheek. "Let's head in."

Erin nodded and got out of the car, even as Jessica opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. They stepped towards each other, and as Aaron watched, Jessica opened her arms, hugging Erin tightly as her shoulders started to shake. His sister in law met his gaze, her eyes infinitely sad as she began to lead Erin into the house. And as he grabbed the first of Erin's bags, he suddenly felt grateful that Jessica had welcomed them into her home, somehow knowing that she would do her best to help Erin begin to heal from what had happened.


	12. Chapter 12

"A little vulture told me that Erin was living with Jessica."

Aaron looked up to see Penelope standing in his office, a troubled look on her face. He invited her inside, and she closed the door behind her before crossing over to his desk. "He walked in on us kissing. What else was there for him to do?"

"Not be a jackass and separate a mother from her children for starters?"

He shrugged a little as Penelope sat, staring at him. "We betrayed him."

"Bullshit! If he had treated her decently, or not hit her, then maybe I would be a little angrier about your affair. But he created an environment ripe for her heart to seek out someone who was kind, someone who listened, someone who cared, and then he blames her for doing just that?"

Again, he shrugged before standing and moving over to his window, staring out at the bullpen. "There are codes of honor that friends aren't supposed to break. There are mistakes I made that should never have been made. I hurt her, deeply, and I don't know how we'll move on from here."

"You aren't living together?"

He shook his head, frowning when he saw Reid and Morgan look up at his office, glaring at him. "I felt it best that she stay with Jess, alone, until we get things more settled. And perhaps that will get Dave to relent a little on her not seeing the twins. It's been three weeks, and we've been out on cases that could have allowed Erin to spend some time with them, but he wouldn't give way. She called me as much as she thought she could, but I could tell that she thought she was being a pest." Aaron turned to look at Penelope. "I love her."

"I figured as much. She loves you, too, and I think she knew that long before you did."

He took in a deep breath, about to reply, when his office door swung open, Morgan barreling inside, Reid and JJ close at his heels. "I think that you own us an explanation, Hotch," the younger said firmly, anger tinging every word.

"About what?" Penelope asked as she maneuvered herself between him and Morgan, standing toe to toe with the man as she gently pushed him back a little. "Derek? What is going on here?"

Aaron watched the way that Derek bristled at Penelope's tone, as if he wanted to brush her out of the way and get back into his space, and Aaron reached out, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Get your filthy hands off her, man. You don't deserve to be breathing the same air as her."

"I take it that you know about Erin and myself," he said evenly, not giving in to the rash voice in his head telling him to respond just as hostilely to Derek.

"No, I know that you're sleeping with your best friend's wife, and that that is the ultimate betrayal. How do you expect us to trust you when you can do something like this? How are you fit to be our leader when you are going home to a wife who's not yours?"

"Erin's not at my house. And she's missing her children."

"Erin should have thought about that before she opened her legs for you."

Neither one of them saw Penelope's hand shoot up until the loud slap resounded through the room. "Derek Morgan, that is a vile thing to say about one of my friends! You have no idea what Erin is going through, and what precipitated this course of events. You cannot stand there and judge her or Aaron based on what Rossi may have told you. You don't have the full picture."

"And you do? Who's the biased one here, Baby Girl?"

"My heart is inclined to be on Erin's side, yes, because she's separated from her children. Jayje, how would you feel if Will kicked you out and wouldn't allow you to see Henry and Michael? It would suck, wouldn't it?" To Aaron's surprise, JJ shot him an almost commiserating look before looking at Penelope and giving her a tiny nod. "See? All you need to do is look at things from another perspective."

"And I really need to get going here. There's someplace I need to be."

"Where? Between her legs once more?"

Aaron shot Morgan a dark look before heading over to his desk and grabbing his briefcase. "No. I just have plans that I can't reschedule. If you'd like, we can continue this conversation later tonight, at my home. I can have Jack spend the night with his aunt."

"Maybe you do that, Hotch."

They nodded to each other before he brushed past most of his team and headed down the stairs. Glancing up, he saw Dave looking down at him, and he nodded to the man before heading out to the elevators. They hadn't talked personally since everything had gone to hell, but had managed to stay civil enough on their cases so as not to arouse suspicions. However, it seemed like that was now out the window. Stepping into the elevator, he took a deep breath, and pressed the button for his floor, though a familiar hand coming between the doors to hold them open surprised him.

"I'm coming with you, Hotch," Penelope said as she stepped inside the elevator car and pressed the button to send them downwards. "I know that you're going to give Erin her lesson now, and that you don't need to bring your guitar any longer because she's in a place where you can leave your belongings. And since you just told Derek that she's at Jess's, Dave will probably know that soon, too, and she probably needs to see another friendly face."

Aaron merely nodded, and they both fell silent as they went out to his car. The drive over was also quiet, which suited him just fine as he was trying to think of what to say to Erin when he reached her. They had talked quite a bit on the phone while he was away on cases, but hadn't had time to visit one another. And so, when he pulled in, it didn't surprise him to see Erin rush out onto the porch, a wide grin on her face.

Parking, he got out of the car, but Penelope reached Erin's side first and was hugging Erin tightly, whispering something in his lover's ear that made her nod and start to cry. Aaron ambled over to them, and Erin moved from Penelope's arms to his side, pasting herself to him as she buried her face in his neck. "They know, don't they?"

"Yes."

"We'll still be by your side. We won't leave you." Penelope's impassioned words made him smile and he kissed the top of Erin's head as she chuckled a little. "What's so funny?"

"I was actually working on a hymn today with much those same words in the title. _I'll Never Leave Thee_ , it's called, and I'm somewhat glad to know that I haven't driven away everyone in my life."

He kissed her once more and began to lead her into the house. Jessica came padding out of the kitchen as they passed by, and she smiled at them kindly. "I was just about to go pick Jack up from practice. Do you want me to pick up supper while I'm out?"

"That would be great. I think Chinese is in order." Jessica nodded as she went over to the door, slipping into her shoes and heading out. "Now, Penelope has decided to sit in on our lesson today, since she wanted to visit you. Is there a particular song that you'd like to play to showcase your skills?"

"I think that I'd like to start with the song I was working on, actually, since it means a lot to me." He nodded before watching her pull away from him and make her way into the living room. Both their guitars were already in their stands, and he assumed that she had tuned them both before they had gotten there, which made him smile.

"This is seriously adorable," Penelope murmured as they joined Erin by the instruments. He picked up his guitar and went over to the couch, taking a seat and starting to strum slowly, reading the music that Erin had left on the stand.

"You're a little slow, Aaron. I actually know this song from my time in church," Erin said primly as she took a seat next to him, leaning in close as she read the music and began to play. "Though I would never have been able to play it this well if you hadn't taught me in the first place."

She looked up at him, an adoring smile on her lips before she pressed her lips to his cheek in a chaste kiss. "You've always been a good student, Erin," he said lowly, and heedless of Penelope being there, he gave Erin a deep kiss, groaning a little at the contact. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." They rested their foreheads together, and Aaron fought to keep from rolling his eyes when he heard Penelope coo in the background. "I miss my babies, too, though. He hasn't backed down, though. Not an inch. But Bernice sent me some pictures and videos. They tide me over, but sometimes all I could do was drift up to my room and squeeze their bears close to my chest."

"I am so sorry, Erin. I never meant to destroy you like this."

"In a way, you saved me. You gave me an outlet, you let me fall in love with you, and you brought me closer to a friend. I know, in time, I'll hold my babies again. I just have to have faith in my loved ones."

"That's right, Erin. I will help make you whole again." They looked over at Penelope, and Aaron gave her an appreciative smile as he nodded, knowing that if she said it, somehow, in time, it would happen.


	13. Chapter 13

"Will ye gang tae the heilands Leezie Lindsay? Will ye gang tae the heilands wi me?" Aaron started to sing, strumming the chords to the song beneath his voice. Erin had sent him the link to this song, saying that she wanted to learn something different, but to his knowing mind, he thought that there might be another meaning to this song than what she was telling him.

"She wants you to ask her to live with you."

He looked up to see Jessica in the doorway, her hips slightly canted as a playful smile darted across her face. "And you would know this how?"

"I have eyes. Which is why I asked Jack to go out and take a walk with her. She needs to get to know him better, too. And you guys need the space to be intimate, since I know that it's a bit awkward to try anything here."

He didn't think it possible, but he felt his cheeks heat up in a deep flush as he continued to try and learn the song before he had to teach it to Erin. "I don't know how Jack would react to that."

"He and Erin get along quite well. They've been interacting a lot after school when you're away on cases. I didn't expect it, since she's been skittish around me, as if she thinks I judge her for falling in love with you. I wish you could tell her that I don't give a flying fuck who she loves. I just want her to have her family back. Dave is the asshole here."

Aaron laughed lowly as he stopped playing, setting the guitar aside and patting the seat next to him. Jessica took a seat and looked at him expectantly. "I agree, but I haven't really broached the subject with him. We're just starting to test the boundaries of our friendship again."

"That's kinda cowardly, Aaron. Aren't you willing to risk losing that friendship so that Erin can see her children?"

He nodded as he looked down at his guitar. "I don't know how to approach him without it causing an issue at work. I want to punch him, to yell at him, to tie him up and allow Erin to break into the house and hug her children tightly. As a lawyer, I know that that's not how it works. I just don't want to jeopardize her future ability to see them."

Jessica tilted her head a little as her brows knit together with concern. "You can't allow this to paralyze you, Aaron. I know that you care deeply for both of them, but you love Erin, beyond measure. Right?"

Aaron sighed. "I do. So, you really think I should ask her to live with me?"

"Yes. And once she's in a stable place at your house, you can begin to fight for custody of Bella and Katrina. And you will have the support of Penelope and me."

"And Alex." Jessica arched an eyebrow. "I encouraged her to reach out to Alex, since she needed more friends to talk to. It's lonely when you only have two or three people you can talk to, besides your adult children."

She nodded sympathetically as the back door slammed open. "Looks like Jack's done playing."

"Erin has to be getting quite the workout," he said lowly as he listened to one set of footfalls pound up the stairs, knowing that Jack was heading to his room here at Jessica's.

"I am." He turned and looked at Erin, taking in the way she was breathing heavily, her face practically glowing with happiness as she came over to them, sitting casually on his lap and looping an arm around his neck. "But, it's keeping me young and in shape."

Aaron turned his face and nuzzled his nose against her cheek before wrapping his free arm around her waist. "But I like the shape you have very much."

"Aaron. We're in front of your sister. Be good." He nodded and rested his head on her arm as they sighed in tandem. "I'm sorry, this is how our lessons usually start out."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, you two are adorable." She smiled at them before getting off the couch and heading out of the living room. "Have a good lesson!"

"I really like Jessica."

"I'm glad. She seems to like having you around, too. But maybe for not much longer."

Erin stiffened in his arms, and Aaron set aside his guitar so that he could hold onto her better. "Are you asking me to leave here?" Her words were low, and full of hurt, and he tugged her closer to him, holding on when she tried to wriggle away.

"I am asking you to consider living with me. Jess and I were talking, and she raised a few very valid points. It's hard to spend time with you when you're here, and I'm at my house with Jack. And I want to spend time with you."

"Oh," she said, turning slightly so that she could look at him. "Do you really want me with you?"

"Yes. You belong by my side, forever."

"But what about Jessica? If I'm with you, then Jack can stay home all the time, and that's not fair to her."

"We'll come up with a solution for that, I promise. But I need you in my life, all the time, and if you have a permanent home, with your lover, you have a better case for getting custody of Katrina and Isabella. And I'll be able to do things like this." He skimmed his hands up beneath her blouse to cup her breasts, letting his thumbs worry the lace of her bra across her nipples in order to stiffen them into tight little peaks. A throaty moan tumbled from her lips, and Aaron captured her lips in a torrid kiss as he pressed her back against the sofa, covering her body with his as he continued the kiss and slipped his hand beneath her bra to touch her soft skin.

"All right, I'll move in with you," she breathlessly said as she gently pushed at his chest. "But we can't finish this here. Jack or Jessica could walk in at any moment."

Aaron nodded as he sat up slowly, pulling her up with him. "I have missed this."

"I have, too, darling." Her eyes darted away at the usage of the endearment, which made him chuckle lowly as he cupped her face with his hands, leaning in to kiss her forehead sweetly. "There is something that I would like to ask you."

"What is it, Erin?"

"When he asks me for a divorce, and a proper amount of time has passed, you might want to ask me something, since that is your upbringing. I don't want that. Will you not marry me?"

She was still looking away from him, as if she was afraid of his reaction, and he let his thumb graze against her cheek until she finally turned her eyes to his. "I will take you however you want, Erin. And if you want to live in sin with me for the rest of your life, I'll take that. If you change your mind and decided that a third time is the charm for you, I'll take that, too. For some reason, you fit into a hole in my life that I didn't know existed until a few months ago."

The first tears began to fill her eyes, and he used his thumbs to brush underneath them gently, wiping the tears away before they could completely fall. "And you brought me a happiness and light that had been missing from my life for months and months. My children brought me a different sort of happiness, yes, but this intimacy, this love, was gone and I didn't think I'd ever get it back."

Aaron nodded and hugged her close, feeling her head come to rest on his chest, right where his heart lay. "This is going to sound completely ridiculous, but rather than finish our lesson, would you like to go out and get food for us, with me? I find myself famished, and I think it was from all the running around we did earlier."

"We could head out for Indian. Jack mentioned that he liked it a few weeks ago, which surprised me, since he hadn't had it before."

She shrugged a little and gave him a guilty smile. "I wanted tandoori chicken, and Jack agreed to try some. I mean, he likes Chinese and Italian cuisine well enough, so it was beyond time to introduce a new flavor profile into his life."

"And now you sound like Penelope," he teased, chucking her chin gently as she laughed. "It suits you." Leaning in, he kissed her gently, knowing that they couldn't afford to let things get out of hand once again that afternoon. "All right, let's head out."

They stood, and Erin plastered herself to his side as they made their way out of the living room and down the hall. "That was a short lesson!" Jessica called out from upstairs.

"Jack ran Erin out of energy. We're going to pick up Indian food, and then come back and eat. When that's finished, we'll play for you two."

"Sounds good!"

He smiled at Erin, and she grinned in return. Aaron knew that their moving in together wouldn't solve all her problems, but he had a good feeling that this would be the start of things finally going right for both of them. And he knew that there would be people to support them on their journey forward together.


	14. Chapter 14

Aaron listened to Erin strumming on her guitar, singing Joni Mitchell's _Both Sides Now_ softly as she played. It was truly amazing how quickly she had become quite good at the instrument, and while he wanted to pop into the living room to compliment her on the song, he knew that he had to make an important meeting, one that she knew nothing about.

So, instead, he crept quietly down the hall and grabbed his keys off the table by the door before heading outside, knowing that Jack was in good hands if he needed anything. He was well on his way before Penelope called, and he answered her call, putting her on speaker as he drove. "What have you heard?"

"He was not in the best of moods, Hotch. And I think he knows that I've been feeding you what information I could, since he was giving me some decidedly hostile looks all morning long."

"I never wanted you to be in this position, I hope you know."

"And I have wanted the twins back with Erin for the last two months! He needs to quit holding a grudge, it's not like Erin is a possession you can steal, she's an adult who made the choice to follow the heart that made her happy. If she hadn't made that choice, I think she would have faded away."

"I have the same feeling, Penelope. All right, what can you tell me about his lawyer?"

There was a short pause, and Aaron's heart sank into his stomach, knowing that silence on Penelope's part rarely meant anything good. "He's not meeting you today with a lawyer. He was telling Morgan that there might be a time for lawyers later, but he wanted to talk to you man to man. Which is why I suggested that you meet at my coffeeshop. Maybe that will lead to cooler heads prevailing. Seriously, Hotch, I think he might be softening a little, because I've also overheard some conversations he's had with Bernice, and the twins miss Erin desperately."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you. And, I think that Erin would really like to see you tonight. No matter what happens, we'll need your sunny disposition."

"Of course! I'll bring the food, you provide the drinks, and we will entertain each other. I'll even pick up Jessica."

"Thanks, Garcia."

"You are most welcome, Boss Man!"

They hung up, and he began to think about everything that he would, and shouldn't, say to Dave when they met. There was so much that needed to be said, that he didn't really know where to begin, other than with the fact that Erin needed to see her children once more. That would be his bottom line, the one thing that he couldn't back down on. Erin was counting on him doing something to bring her family back together again.

Pulling into the spot next to Dave, Aaron turned his car off and looked at his phone. They were both early, which didn't surprise him, as that was both in their natures, but it also put him at a slight disadvantage. Taking a deep breath, he tapped out a message to Erin, telling her that he loved her, before turning the phone on silent and slipping it into his pocket. As he headed inside, he made certain to walk with intention, and try to not let Dave see how nervous he was about this meeting.

When his eye landed on Dave, he saw that the man had two mugs on the table already, so he ambled over to him rather than ordering his own coffee, taking a seat across from him. "Good afternoon, Hotch."

"Dave," he said evenly, inclining his head towards the man as he picked up his mug and took a brief sip. It was exactly what he'd order, and that pleased him a little, as if that small courtesy told him that things were going to be okay, with time. "I'm glad that it's just the two of us right now."

"Kitten's been working on me, keeping my temper in check when I've wanted to lash out. She reminded me that I had been treating Erin horribly, and that I needed to set aside petty squabbles and meet with you one on one. I know that Erin is nowhere near ready to face me, and I'm not completely certain that I am ready to face her. But…our girls need their mother. I'm tired of them asking for her every night."

This was not the response he had been anticipating, and he tried to keep the shock from showing on his face as he sat back and regarded his friend. "And my heart is tired of hearing her cry for them in the night, and then pretending like she's fine when I call her on it. The distance has done us all some good, and hopefully the time has allowed you to reflect some."

David took a deep breath, a harsh look quickly slipping across his face before he nodded. "It has, yes. And I am currently seeing someone about my anger issues. Penelope's idea, not mine, and Matteo agreed with her." Aaron nodded before taking a drag of his coffee. "I'm actually going to be heading to a meeting that will take up most of my afternoon and early evening. And I've told Bernice that you and Erin might be stopping by for a while. I'll text you before I head home."

Aaron knew that it was the most ground Dave was willing to give at this time, and he was grateful for it, since it would mean the world to Erin, even if it was a short time. "I think that that sounds like a perfect solution for the rest of our day. How much do I owe you for the coffee?"

"I have you covered, Hotch." They shared a brief, knowing, look, and then Hotch nodded a little before getting up and leaving the coffee shop. The anticipation that coursed through his system almost caused him to run into the side of his car, and he deliberately backed up and then pulled onto the street, trying to keep a sedate pace as he went home. The drive didn't take too long, even with his caution, and as he pulled into the garage, he wondered how he would tell Erin the joyous news.

Bounding into his home, Aaron rushed into the living room, finding Erin still playing her guitar, this time with Jack and Jessica listening in. She heard his approach, since she looked up and gave him a beautiful smile before blushing and looking away, her fingers momentarily fumbling on the strings. "Why the eager grin, Aaron?" she asked softly as she came to the end of her song.

"Because I have somewhere to take you, that you'll be quite happy with." Erin gave him a quizzical look, and he shrugged a little. "And I want Jack and Jess to come along as well. This is a family event, after all."

Hope lit up Erin's eyes as she set aside her instrument with shaky hands, rising to her feet and crossing over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she stared up into his eyes. "You wouldn't string me along, right?"

"I love you way too much to do that to you, Erin. And what you're thinking is true." Tears sparkled in Erin's eyes as she nodded, giving him a brief kiss before burying her face in the crook of his neck as Jack got to his feet, too, moving over to them.

"Dad?"

"We're going to visit the twins. It was time that you met them, since they are going to be a part of our lives from now on." Jack nodded and smiled as Jessica came up and joined them. "If we're going to be family, we need to start out as a family. Yes?"

"Yes, Aaron," Jessica said lowly as she gave him a wide smile. "We're ready to go, if you are, Erin."

She pulled away from him, the joy radiating from her face as she nodded. "I've waited so long for this day, Aaron, and I wouldn't expect to do it alone." He nodded as he took hold of her hand, watching as Jack took hold of her other hand. They walked as a family back out to the car, and Erin surprised him by climbing in the back with Jessica, allowing Jack to sit next to him as they drove over to Dave's home. Glancing up into the rearview mirror, he saw that Erin was crying silently, while Jessica murmured something in her ear, causing her to nod. "We're here."

"We are," he said quietly as he turned the car off. "Are you ready to head inside?"

"More than anything." They nodded to each other and as one, exited the vehicle to begin the short walk up to the porch. Bernice had the door open before they got there, a knowing smile on her lips as she beckoned them inside.

"I always knew that he would relent, Miss Erin. And now you're here."

"Only for a quick visit," Aaron hastily said. "That was all I was able to arrange for today."

Bernice cocked her head to one side, acknowledging his statement, even as they could all hear the stampede of feet coming closer and closer. "Mommy!" Bella cried out as she launched herself into Erin's open arms. Katrina was a little more reticent to join them, but she came up to Aaron, hugging his legs tightly before tugging on his shirt.

Aaron lifted her up, holding her close as she patted his face. "We miss your music," she lisped, and he nodded, hugging her close as they entered the house, making their way to the living room. "Are you back to stay?"

"No, poppet, Mommy's only visiting for a short while today. Daddy and I have to work through some issues before I can see you more, but Uncle Aaron was able to make it work today." Katrina nodded before resting her head on Aaron's shoulder, and he knew in that moment that he would do whatever it took to make certain that Erin had at least shared custody with her babies.


	15. Chapter 15

"I don't know if I'm ready to do this, Aaron," Erin hissed as she wiped her hands on her skirt.

"I have complete faith in you, darling. This is the culmination of six months of hard work. Everyone is here to support and listen to you." He kissed the side of her head before looking into her eyes once more. "I'm going to go join everyone now. You come in when you're ready, or else I'll send Penelope in here to drag you before us." He hoped that she knew he was teasing her, and from the slight shake of her head accompanied by a tiny smirk, he knew that she had heard him perfectly.

Giving her a small wink, Aaron left her alone in the study before heading out to the living room. Dave had been gracious enough to allow them the use of his house for Erin's recital, and everyone had managed to make time for her performance. It had taken Derek and Spencer longer than the others to warm to Erin and him, but that was to be expected, he knew. Giving them a small smile, Aaron took a seat next to Alex, grateful that she had made the effort to come down from Boston.

"She's nervous, isn't she?" Alex asked as Bella crawled up into Aaron's lap, wriggling around until she found a comfortable spot, her head thumping heavily against his chest.

"How did you know?" he murmured in return, rocking the toddler back and forth as they waited for Erin to appear.

"She was always like this, back when we were in the Academy together. But she'll appear, once she finds her courage."

Penelope glanced over at them from her spot by Dave. Katrina was on her lap, and they looked so much like a family that Aaron wondered when they would publicly announce their relationship. Aaron gave her a small nod and smile before turning his gaze on the doorway, willing Erin to appear. Finally, she took a few, hesitant, steps into the living room, and he gave her an encouraging smile gesturing with his head towards the stand and chair in front of them all.

She took a deep breath and nodded, taking a seat and spreading out her skirt a little before arranging her guitar and music. It was something he had often done himself while trying to buy some time and calm his nerves. And then, Erin was looking up at him, giving him a nervous smile before nodding once more and clearing her throat. "Thank you all for joining me here today. It means so much that you would agree to hearing me, even though I'm not the greatest player yet. I'm going to start with the latest song Aaron has been teaching me, one that means so much to me."

The opening chords to _Hallelujah_ began to pour out from her fingers, and Aaron pursed his lips a little to keep from crying. It had been difficult for them both to work through that piece, but Erin had insisted that it was a necessity, since she loved the song so much. Alex reached up and rested her hand on his shoulder as she leaned over. "This song always gets to me, too," she murmured before focusing her attention on Erin once more.

The recital went well, as Erin played her favorite songs from the ones that she had learned from him over the last few months. It was clear just how much she had grown as a musician, and it made him feel proud for having taught her. Their eyes met as she finished up with _Leezie Lindsay_ , a tender smile on her lips as the high, thin, notes poured from her throat. When she had finished the song, Erin set aside her guitar and stood, curtsying a little as their friends and family applauded her.

Bella squirmed out of his lap and ran up to Erin, hugging her tightly before starting to run her hands over the strings of the guitar. Aaron knew that he had to get a small guitar for her to start learning on, since she was so fascinated by music. Dave gave him a knowing smile, and he shrugged a little as they all stood and began to mingle. Alex made her way over to Erin, giving her a quick hug, and Aaron felt himself relax a little at the sight, turning to Dave and Morgan.

"She plays quite well, I would never have thought that she had that much talent when you first started giving her lessons." Dave clapped him on the back, and Morgan nodded a little in response. "And I see that Bella is already starting to follow in her mother's musical footsteps."

"Yes. I'm thinking about getting her a miniature guitar to start teaching her on, since she's always so fascinated whenever Erin or I play."

"I'll see what I can do about that, Hotch. Nothing but the best for my children, after all," Dave said softly. "Now, while we were listening to this fine performance, I had the best catering company in DC set up in the garden, since it is a glorious spring day. Let's head outside."

Penelope came up to their sides and slipped her arm around Dave's waist. "That was not what I was expecting, Hotch. You're a great teacher."

"Erin is a great student. We work very well together, and I've found it very fulfilling to teach her. Even if things hadn't happened the way they did between us, I think I still would have found great satisfaction in helping her master the guitar."

Dave gave him an understanding smile as they started to head outside. Alex and Erin were helping the twins with their food, and Aaron went to join them, only to find that Dave had the same intention. They both chuckled as they grabbed empty plates and went up to the women. "Since you're starting their food, is there anything that you want?" Aaron asked his partner kindly.

"Just get me a small sampling of what you know I like, darling," she replied off-handedly, prying the tongs of the meatballs out of Bella's hands and sticking them back in the pan. "All right, Bella, let's go take a seat under the tree."

He smiled to watch them go, and Aaron quickly filled the plate for both of them, knowing that they wouldn't be eating too much as they tried to keep an eye on the twins. It didn't take long for him to finish, and then he was joining his little family beneath the branches of the wide oak that Katrina and Bella loved. Jack was entertaining them with a story from school, and he leaned down against Erin, setting the plate in her lap before taking a seat and allowing her to scoot up close to him.

"This is a nice surprise," Erin murmured as she rested her head on his chest, watching Jack allow Katrina to climb into his lap as he continued to tell his story. It was clear that the girl was enamored with him, and Aaron was proud that his son was treating her like a sister, even though he didn't have to.

"It is. Our family is together, and we're happy. What more could we ask for?"

"Not much, honestly. This is the happiest I've been in months, and I cannot wait to see what the future brings us. Ever since Jessica has stepped in with helping me out with the twins when it's our week with them, I've found myself once more gaining the family that I lost. This afternoon has just shown me that all I had to do was reach out."

She sighed a little, and Aaron rubbed her back, wondering what was troubling her. "Erin, is everything okay?" Penelope asked as she brought Dave over to the tree to eat with them.

"Just thinking about how things might have been different if I had reached out sooner. I don't know where that path might have led, but it would have made for a different life."

"We can't change what happened, we can only move forward down the path we chose. But if you hadn't chosen Aaron, then I might not have been with Dave. And I think that we're both happier at this point for our choices."

Erin nodded a little before smiling up into Aaron's face. "With the distance of time, I think that we can say yes. Thank you for all that you've done to smooth this transition. I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for you, my dear friend."

Penelope blushed as she nodded. "It was my pleasure, Erin," she replied before starting to eat. Aaron dropped a gentle kiss to the top of Erin's head before starting to eat as well. As he looked around the lawn, seeing how his friends and family interacted, he felt a warm surge of joy sweep through him as he realized that the dilapidated dreams he and Erin had shared had become realized in the light of day and that happiness was now in their grasp.


End file.
